Boys that love girls

When she was littleIt was cute, the way the boysloved her on playground timeIn the shadow between theswings and the red plastic slideslooking down her throatwhen they made her laughand up her skirt when shecrossed the monkey barsher legs hanging open, spillingsecrets of the little girl kindthat mothers try to hide behindpolka dots and candy strips

When she was older butstill young, playground time becameheavy lunchroom butterfliesand awkward shy sideways eyesbut the boys still knew to makeher laugh and kissed her quicklywhen her eyes were closed whilethe teachers looked the other wayjealous of the candied love in theirbaby sized eyes, listening to herlaughs before the bell yells andthey are lost in lunchroom lullabies

When she’s older and not youngI wonder how theboys will love her and if they’llremember to make her laughwhen they take her in the woodsand try to love her behind treeswhen they think no one is lookingI hope that they do, but know thatthey won’t because when boystry to become men before they knowit’s true spelling, laughing tothem starts to mean crying andlittle girl’s tears the badgesthey earn as they learn to hunt lovefor sport, forgetting the timesthat love was once realin the shadow between theswings and the red plastic slides